The Barneswald Adventures: Danger from the Deep (Series 2)
by marvelwho
Summary: 3/12. Danger from the Deep: A number of disappearances ruin Bucky and Clara's weekend holiday in Blackpool. To find out what lurks beneath the ocean, Bucky calls in UNIT and they are shocked by what they find.
1. Chapter 1

Howard Shaw stared down at the waves below and watched as they tossed and turned just like how he planned to do in bed that night. Jasmyn Cross had broken up with him even though he had proposed to her that night. Now sat at the end of a manmade spit on Blackpool Beach, he wondered what the point of life was anymore and why it should continue. They had been together for a year and a half but for some reason she had lost interest in him and that broke his heart.

His attention was drawn to the ripple that suddenly appeared in the ocean beside him. After about a second it was gone. Perhaps a small fish had come to comfort him, he thought but he soon realised that was silly. The moonlight shone down onto him and at one in the morning, the only friend he had was a bottle of alcohol and even that was almost completely gone.

Then, there were more ripples in the water and they were starting to increase in numbers and grow in size. That was when the strangest occurrence happened. Bubbles rose to the surface and piled up on top of each other, creating a mountain of air on the surface of the ocean. Leaning closer to examine them, Howard noticed a figure coming towards the surface through the lunar light but being almost dark, he didn't notice until the last second.

A green hand shot out from underneath the waves and grabbed hold of his arm. He began screaming and yelling for help but there was nobody around. He grabbed hold of the alcohol bottle and hit the hand, causing it to reel back beneath the surface. A few moments later and two green hands emerged, dragging him across the spit. As he let out one last shrill cry, he held his breath and he felt himself becoming submerged under the waves. The ripples decreased in size, the bubbles disappeared and Howard Shaw was gone.

Bucky's black shoes kissed the glass floor that towered over the Blackpool seafront. He was stood at the very top of the Blackpool Tower; a gargantuan red tower that stood above the seaside town of Blackpool. The grey sky darkened the reflection of Bucky's black jumper and he turned around to see an apprehensive Clara place a foot on the glass floor. The glass floor created an extremely creepy effect that they were hovering in mid-air and being so high up, she was terrified the glass was going to cave in and she'd plunge to her death. Her grip tightened on her black leather jacket to make her feel safer.

'It's fine,' he reassured her, giggling as he extended his arm for her to take. 'It's not going to crack or break. The amount of people that jump on this glass is insane!'

'If you think I'm going to jump on that glass, you're insane,' she bit as she finally reached him and she glared down below her.

'Crazy, isn't it? I wonder how thick this glass is.'

'That's it,' Clara declared as she walked off of the glass and onto the carpet.

'I'm not looking,' she said as she clung onto the roller coaster railing for dear life. 'If I die, I'm gonna kill you.'

Bucky let out a slight chortle as she felt the carriage dip. Plucking up the courage to open her eyes, she stared down at the seafront below. Shoppers walked hand in hand with shopping bags and an elderly couple were walking their dog. Beneath them on the other side, the fairground rides buzzed with light and electricity and even at that height, she could smell the candy floss.

The roller coaster plunged downwards and as she screamed, she felt her ponytail swish in the wind. It was travelling so fast, Bucky had to turn his head because the wind caught his breath. The blue track snaked around the corner and past an information kiosk and a seagull flew in front of Clara's face, causing her to shriek and Bucky to laugh. When the ride came to an end, Clara had tears coming from her brown eyes and she was laughing so hard.

Wrapping her jacket back around her mustard yellow turtleneck and blue dress, she shivered slightly. The sun had retreated back into the clouds and now the cold had come. Bucky sipped on his strawberry milkshake while Clara continued to eat her chips. Looking over at the bench they were going to sit at, they were suddenly grateful they didn't, as the log flume ride caused water to splash all over it.

'Today has been fun so far,' she announced with a wide grin on her face. 'I had so much fun at the tower. And that wax museum!'

'I enjoyed it too,' he smiled. 'And we get to have another day here. I was a little reluctant about having a weekend trip here but it's nice enough.'

'Careful! I grew up here.'

That was when Bucky looked behind her and saw a MISSING poster attached to the blue railings. It looked as if it had been put on recently. Walking over to it and reading it, he soon realised there was also another one beside it and then also another.

'Terrible, ain't it?' a woman smoking a cigarette said from the next bench. 'Four's gone missing in the last week. All at sea. Mind you, one of 'em went missing last night but whether that was at sea or not, no one knows.'

'Four disappearances all at sea?' he said, bewildered. 'That's a bit odd.'

'The police said that too. Even they don't know what's happening. I think it's weird they're putting up MISSING signs when they're probably all dead under the waves.'

Bucky glowered at Clara while she bit into a chip and jolted when the rollercoaster above shot past her.

'I have to go now,' she threw the cigarette in the bin. 'My husband is waiting for me at the ghost train.'

'How weird is that?' Clara said as she waited for Bucky to sit down before sliding over to the bin to put her empty white tray in. 'Four disappearances at sea?'

'Maybe we should investigate.'

Clara looked both disappointed and infuriated.

'This is supposed to be our weekend off from investigating and infiltrating. Don't you think we deserve a break from Cybermen and mummies and alien sex demons for a change?'

'I hear what you're saying,' he said but by the tone of his voice she knew he was going to object. 'But this is too weird. There's got to be something out at sea that's snatching all these people.'

'Maybe it's just strong currents! And besides, I thought we were going to that comedy club tonight. And with you working for UNIT now, you're going to need some rest before their demands get bigger.'

'That's what I can do!' a grin illuminated his face and she banged her head on the wooden bench. 'I can call UNIT and have them investigate. Then we can do some more exploring.'

Clara's head was lifted up and she smiled, relieved he had still had a sense of tourism and adventure. She nodded her head in delight and glanced over at the log flume.

'Wanna give that a try?'

About half an hour later at around 1.30pm, Bucky and Clara were walking through Blackpool's retail district. Clara had purchased a new black handbag from a market stall selling women's jewellery and accessories and Bucky had purchased a new leather jacket that was similar to the one Clara was wearing. Shopping bags in hand, the pair trotted past an erected statue of a man on a horse and Bucky heard his phone ring. They both sat down on a bench and watched as an angry couple were hauled out of a well-known high street store.

'Hello?' he answered the call while Clara studied her new bag. 'Are you being serious?'

Hanging up, he looked at Clara who had her arms folded and he nervously laughed and so her head shot up even more.

'So…' he began. 'That was Agent Christwell on the phone. UNIT are on their way but they're going to be a few hours and with people in potential danger, they want us to investigate while we're waiting for them. Is that… ok?'

Clara felt like stabbing everyone around her. She and Bucky had been planning the weekend away for ages. She argued that she wanted to holiday in Blackpool considering she grew up there and now he was telling her that he was considering working during that time off. Suppressing her anger probably wasn't the best thing to do but she knew that if she started, she wouldn't stop and she'd most likely end up slapping him.

'Bucky,' she closed her eyes and looked away. 'What did you even have in mind?'

'I brought the psychic paper copy! You know, in case we needed it for free entry into clubs and stuff. I have an idea. It's crazy, I know but trust me!'


	2. Chapter 2

'A fishing boat?' Clara spat in disgust. 'Please tell me you're joking!'

Bucky looked over at the blue fishing boat resting quietly on the gentle waves. It was around 30 foot in length with orange rings on the side of it. A large window was positioned on the side of it so that the fishermen could see outside to see if any fish were coming near them. Three fishermen were perched on the side of the boat, their eyes narrowed at the couple.

'UNIT won't be here for another two hours!' Bucky insisted. 'This way, we can inspect the waves and see if anything weird is happening or whether it is just strong currents.'

'There's tour boats! We could do it that way.'

'These boats go out further to sea. It's better, trust me.'

'Well how are we going to get them to let us on? Believe it or not, people don't just let randomers on fisherman boats.'

'I have the psychic paper copy,' he said, plucking it from his pocket. 'I've spoken to them and they said they can let us. I told them we're MI6 on official business.'

Sighing, Clara placed her petite hands on her hips and shook her head in disbelief. It didn't take a genius to realise fishing boats were stinky and with fish piling upon fish every hour, they did not guarantee a pleasant voyage. The sky was grey and it could rain any minute, bringing about a storm and the last thing Clara wanted was to be caught in a vicious maelstrom, getting stranded on some random island or even worse, drowning.

'I'm still not 100% about this,' she wasn't going to give up. 'If it was a tour boat maybe but…'

'Well fine then,' Bucky said and Clara was a little hurt he was planning to give in so easily. 'If you want to stay here while people are missing and could be in danger, feel free. But if you want to come with me, the offer is there.'

Clara took another look at the fishing boat on the water and watched how it bobbed gently on the waves. It looked sturdy even if a storm were to attack them violently. With people missing, she knew she'd never forgive herself if she didn't try and find them.

'I suppose there's never a day off with us anymore, is there?'

Bucky detected the sadness in her voice but nevertheless, he ushered her towards the boat resting in the harbour and then she exhaled loudly and walked up the wooden steps towards the aquatic vehicle.

'Would you like a coat, my sweet?' one of the man asked in a soft Blackpool accent.

'I'm fine thanks,' Clara dismissed him as she took a foot on the edge of the boat and clambered inside.

'I'll have one!' Bucky said and so the fisherman handed him a thin blue coat and he put it on and then joined Clara in the boat. 'You know for someone that used to live here as a kid, you're very nervous about the ocean.'

'Well Blackpool kids don't usually get rides on boats.'

With that, the engine started and Bucky and Clara fell sideward, falling on a sack of fabric. The boat began its journey across the sea and Clara watched nervously as the harbour grew further and further away.

After about half an hour of sea journeying, the fishing boat came to a spot where lots of fish normally gathered, perfect for fishermen. The fishermen dropped their smelly nets into the water and attached the bait onto the hooks and then stuck them in. They sat waiting for about five minutes. Bucky and Clara were sat with their backs to one of the sides. Clara had taken her jacket off after feeling a little queasy and was holding it in her grasp.

'Well we're really doing some fantastic investigation work,' venom poured from her mouth as she shot her boyfriend a look. 'You got any good notes yet?'

'I'm sure something will happen. I agreed to meet UNIT at the harbour.'

One of the fishermen tugged on their rod and then they let out a shrill cry. Bucky and Clara immediately stood up and ran over to the man who was trying to hoist the rod back up.

'We've got a big one!' he yelled to the other two who came to his attention to aid him. 'What the hell is it?'

The men wrestled with whatever it was they had caught on the fishing wire for a good few minutes. It was then that it broke free from the wire and the fishermen knew because they fell backwards when all force had been released from the fishing rod. Clara rolled her eyes and stood near the edge to look over.

'It was probably a big fish,' she insinuated, brushing the creature off but Bucky wasn't too convinced. 'I've been to the aquarium here many times and it said there's a lot of big fish in these waters.'

Then, everyone on the fishing boat fell backwards once more. Something hit the bottom of the boat and it was heavy enough to make it rock and shake. As Bucky fell back, he landed on a pile of dead fish, much to his disgust. One fell off the pile and landed on his face. In the spur of the moment, he threw it and it narrowly missed Clara's head who had fallen against the side and as a result, had let go of her expensive leather jacket. She saw it bobbing on the ocean surface.

'My jacket!' she reached over the side of the boat and stretched her arm out. She was almost touching it.

A slimy green hand stuck itself out of the water and grabbed hold of her jumper sleeve. Screaming, she grabbed hold of the side in a bid to stay on the vehicle. Bucky rushed over to her and grabbed hold of her other arm as she wrestled the hand.

'Help me!' she pleaded unhappily.

Bucky's grip loosened and he fell back against the pile of rotting fish. With a loud shriek, Clara was taken beneath the waves head first. A fisherman tried to help rescue her but testing the water with his finger, he decided it was way too cold.

'Clara!' Bucky cried with worry in his voice. He leaned over the side of the boat and saw bubbles rise to the surface. 'Baby? Someone do something!'

He watched in amazement as she resurfaced, gasping for air as she felt the hand clasp itself around her ankle. Instinctively, Bucky tossed one of the orange rubber safety rings to her and she latched on desperately, trying to stay afloat. It wasn't easy. She kept being dragged beneath the waves only to resurface moments later. Her heart racing and her blood running, she felt the coldness of the water take her breath. With a grand strong tug, she began calling out Bucky's name before being completely submerged and this time she didn't come back up.

'We have to help her!' he told the fisherman, tears in his eyes. 'We can't just leave her.'

'What are we supposed to do?' the oldest one said. 'You're MI6! You do something.'

'Get back to shore now,' he demanded but their lethargic behaviour bothered him greatly. 'NOW!'

Doing as they were told, the fishermen ran towards the control deck and powered up the boat. Bucky reached over and retrieved Clara's jacket from the surface of the ocean. During the journey back to the harbour, he didn't let go of it.


	3. Chapter 3

Arriving back on the harbour, Bucky didn't hesitate to jump over the side and onto the wooden panel. He spotted the black UNIT SUV parked at the entrance of the harbour and three UNIT soldiers ran towards him. With a look of angst and concern on his face, he stopped and greeted them.

'Clara's been taken,' he told them urgently, flapping his hands around like a crazy seal. 'We were out on the ocean and something gross grabbed her and pulled her in. She could be dead for all we know.'

'Clara Oswald, your associate?' one of them asked him.

'She's not my associate, she's my… look, can you please just help me? I'm worried sick.'

'Don't worry son that is why we have this!'

In an instant, the water beside them broke as a large black cylindrical item rose to the surface. UNIT had been embellished on the side of it in white text with the logo on display for everyone to see. A hatch was on the top and a small camera was adjusted to the top.

'Is that a submarine?' he asked in awe.

'It's the very best submarine!' he said. 'I'm Officer Transit. This if Officer Thor and Officer Melrose.'

'Thor?'

'Yes. Is there something wrong with that?'

'Absolutely not. I spoke to Agent Christwell on the phone about an hour ago and he said you'd dispatched a sea vehicle but I didn't think he meant a submarine.'

Climbing on top of it, Melrose with her blonde hair and blue eyes, opened the hatch and a loud squeaky noise was heard around the harbour. She slid down into the interior which was black with white pulsating lights. Sonar equipment was fixed onto the front of the submarine with a large screen showing what the camera saw. At that moment, it showed the surface of the ocean with the grey sky in the distance.

'Get in!' ordered Transit politely as he too slid down inside.

Obediently, Bucky jumped inside the submarine and looked around.

'Agent Barnes,' said Officer Thor. 'Scoot over please.'

He moved out of the way while the bulky man jumped down inside and closed the hatch, making sure it wasn't open.

'Commencing subduction now.'

The submarine made an unusual whirling noise as it sank beneath the waves and Bucky looked at the screen and studied the Blackpool Sea and its filthy colour. The sonar sound gave an eerie feel to the place and Bucky stood eagerly, hoping he would find some answers.

An hour later and they were travelling along the ocean bed, staring out at the school of fish that swam past the camera.

'There's nothing obscure yet,' suggested Melrose as she rose to get a bottle of water from the red mini fridge.

'Reminds me of that book I read last week,' said Bucky. '20,000 Leagues or something.'

'What the hell is that?'

Bucky's suspicious were instantly aroused and he walked over to the sonar equipment and stared at the camera. In the distance, there was domed infrastructure but the water made it almost impossible to see. It seemed black in colour and Transit moved the submarine closer until they were about twenty feet away.

'It looks like some form of… sea base,' suggested Thor as they sat and observed it. It was quite large.

'Well what's a sea base doing in the oceans of Blackpool?' Bucky sounded bamboozled. 'Do scientists occupy this area?'

'No they don't,' Transit rose and realised it was unsafe to approach it any further. 'If you look to the right, you can see a door and hatch. My guess is that that is the way inside. We need to go to the hatch, open it and see if Clara Oswald is still alive. Maybe it's all connected to the missing people.'

'And how do we get inside?' Bucky became a little frustrated. 'We're not semi-aquatic. We can't swim and breathe in water.'

Rolling his eyes at the man's pessimism and doubt, he strolled over to a large white door and spun the handle. Opening it, Bucky saw ten diving suits on hangers. They all looked a little old and they were dark orange. A large beige cylindrical helmet accompanied them and they smelled a little musty.

'You want me to get in that?'

'Officer Thor can stay here while me, you and Melrose see what's going on in there. We need someone on board in case something happens and we need to alert UNIT.'

The very thought of being so alone at the bottom of the ocean terrified all four of them. If something were to happen, they would not be receiving assistance anytime soon.

'Well I'm taking her leather jacket,' he said. 'She might want it.'


	4. Chapter 4

The submarine secondary door opened and the three humans looked out into the vast ocean. The primary door was shut so the water didn't get in and then bravely, they stepped out onto the ocean floor, the wet sand floating in the waters. A small red crab ran along the bed passing the vegetation indicating low salt levels beneath the sand and they approached the base.

'This seems weird,' said Melrose into her helmet communicator. 'I mean you read about underwater voyages and stuff but you never think it's going to happen to you.'

'Be careful,' Transit said, reaching the base's door. 'Now I think you touch this red button and…'

The door slid open and they saw a chrome door behind that one. Stepping inside, the door sensed they were all in and then it shut tight. For the first five seconds nothing happened and then the water started to drain away through a system built into the mechanism. Once it was all gone, they took their helmets off and took a breather. Slipping out of their suits and leaving them on the floor, they watched as the chrome slid open to reveal a long chrome corridor with a red pattern along them. At the end of the corridor stood another chrome door.

'This is so weird,' insisted Transit, examining the area. 'Whoever or whatever built this, clearly has intellect.'

'I also doubt very much this is the work of scientists,' added Melrose. 'But they're clever enough to build an oxygen filtration system, I'll give them that.'

They heard the sound of a door opening from around the corner and then Transit cursed, stating he forgot to bring weapons. That was when three grotesque beings came around the corner. Green in colour and dressed in white fishnet suits, their webbed feet were simply repulsive. In a way, a startled Melrose thought they resembled humanoid tortoises with their webbed head digits and big bulgy eyes.

'Stay back!' cried Transit but they were quickening their pace towards them. 'I know what you monsters are.'

'What are they?' asked Bucky, too scared to take his eyes off them.

'I've read a file on them.'

Transit went to kick him but the creature wrapped its slimy green arms around him and tried to suffocate him. The other kicked Melrose in the genital area and she winced and fell to the floor. Bucky hit one around the face and it staggered backwards but then smacked him and he fell back against the steel chrome door.

'What the hell are they?' Bucky cried as he was dragged into its arms.

'Sea Devils!' replied Transit but the creature pulled his neck back and snapped it and Transit dropped to the floor dead.

Bucky broke free from the creature's grasp and helped Melrose to her feet and brushed past the horrible beings. The door at the other end opened and four more Sea Devils came towards them, a leering smile on their faces. They both stared back at the others who were also strolling down the corridor and they were trapped, the amphibious monsters coming closer towards them.

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**


End file.
